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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mug — a face
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cold — an illness
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. swing — music
  22. mug — to rob
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fan — to cool the air

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