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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 124 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. sharp — clever
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. band — a music group
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chest — a box
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — a face
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. swing — in golf
  19. face — to point toward
  20. press — to push
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to confront

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