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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — steady
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — a company
  24. march — music

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