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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wake — a trail
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — for a bird

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