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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: coach · bulb · mark · straw · fall · wave · ball · foot

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fall — the season
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — the bottom

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