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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chest · coach · deal · sharp · straw · mate · fine · squash

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — to breed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — all right
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chest — a box
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. sharp — clever
  23. squash — the sport
  24. sharp — exactly

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