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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mug — to rob
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mug — a face
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. present — a gift
  13. band — a music group
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spell — magic
  18. present — the time now
  19. band — a ring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — there
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spell — a short time

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