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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rest — a break
  5. file — a document
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. swing — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. swing — to play on

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