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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.

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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. swing — in golf
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — the most important part
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — in music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. kid — child
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. key — for a lock

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