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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a ring
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a music group
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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