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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — a thing
  4. squash — to crush
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. object — an aim
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. march — the month
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — to drill
  13. press — to push
  14. swing — music
  15. march — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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