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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · kick · rash · staff · mark · sharp · swing · toast

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. toast — bread
  4. mark — a trace
  5. staff — a stick
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rash — hasty
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — in football
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — a grade
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rash — a series

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