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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — a cup
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chest — a box
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mug — a face
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bank — for money

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