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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — to bend
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — to play on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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