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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.

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: coach · leaves · key · swing · sharp · rush · kid · calf

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. kid — child
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. swing — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. kid — to tease
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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