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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 120 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: season · pop · bore · bank · coach · foot · fall · straw

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pop — to visit
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bank — of a river
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pop — soda
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — in sport

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