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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 116 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — a break
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — all right
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  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