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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 · trunk · arm · coach · foot · march · dip · mate

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a friend
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — to sink
  24. arm — a part of something

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