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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
468
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: file · row · coach · hide · march · can · mark · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — to paddle
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a document
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. file — a tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. row — a line
  13. can — to be able to
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. march — the month
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. march — music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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