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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. swing — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pit — a hole
  13. sharp — clever
  14. swing — to play on
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. band — a music group
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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