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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spring — the season
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cell — a phone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — music
  24. cell — in biology

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