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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. swing — in golf
  6. race — humankind
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. swing — to play on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — music

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