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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tube — a container
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rock — a stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — the underground
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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