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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. swing — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. court — of a king
  6. swing — in golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. swing — to play on
  14. court — for sport
  15. toast — bread
  16. race — a contest
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. race — the arms race
  21. court — of law
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. toast — the most admired

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