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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. swing — in golf
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mug — a cup
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. swing — music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — a face
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rash — hasty
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — of the year

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