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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. lean — thin
  6. last — final
  7. roll — a list
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. swing — to play on
  12. clip — a video
  13. swing — in golf
  14. charge — electricity
  15. swing — music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — to bend
  19. clip — for paper
  20. charge — in control
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. charge — a price
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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