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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. swing — in golf
  4. kick — in football
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. swing — music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. coach — a trainer

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