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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — a practice
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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