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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · mark · stand · spring · chip · wake · straw · coach

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. roll — a cake
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stand — to bear
  12. roll — a list
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spring — the season
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com