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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — to play on
  9. land — a country
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. swing — music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. land — ground
  24. toast — bread

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