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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: straw · capital · bound · sharp · coach · bulb · hide · mate

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — to breed
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mate — a partner

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