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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. swing — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. swing — to play on
  5. court — for sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of law
  15. spell — magic
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. coach — a trainer

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