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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. firm — decided
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — a contest
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. rest — what's left
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — music
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rest — a break

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