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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — a friend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. swing — music
  12. band — a ring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mate — to breed
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a music group
  24. season — in sport

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