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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. can — to be able to
  3. swing — music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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