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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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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: row · march · coach · firm · bore · cue · straw · wind

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. march — the month
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to drill
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. row — to paddle
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wind — moving air
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. firm — decided
  17. march — music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — a signal
  24. firm — steady

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