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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · jam · toast · sharp · coach · wound

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fine — high quality
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. toast — bread
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. 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