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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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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: foot · rest · saw · coach · sharp · mug · swing · band

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mug — a cup
  9. foot — a measure
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rest — a break
  12. mug — a face
  13. saw — the tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — to rob
  20. saw — the tool
  21. swing — music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a rubber band

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