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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rash — a series
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — in football
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rule — government
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. safe — out of danger

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