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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. swing — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. swing — to play on
  5. drill — a practice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. net — after costs
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — for catching
  19. board — to get on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lean — thin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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