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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · foot · mate · wind · straw · coach · sharp · plane

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — a tool

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