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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — to bear
  5. staff — a stick
  6. season — in sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — a coil
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spring — of water
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. swing — in golf

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