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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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468
Word bank
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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stand — to bear
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. swing — in golf
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. swing — to play on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. kick — in football
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — music
  24. stand — for spectators

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