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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 116 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bore — to tire
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — the most important part
  9. swing — music
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bore — to drill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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