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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. swing — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — a break
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — a lid
  13. swing — in golf
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — the season
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spring — a coil

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