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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: calf · bark · sharp · mug · coach · straw · face · spring

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spring — of water
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. face — to confront
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spring — a coil
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spring — the season
  22. bark — to shout
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — a face

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