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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: coach · saw · straw · season · suit · bear · lie · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — in cards
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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