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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rule — a law
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — a path
  9. swing — music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — in golf
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rule — government
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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