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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. swing — in golf
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — to crush
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. squash — the sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitch — a sports field

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