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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: firm · coach · foot · cold · swing · mug · fan · rash

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rash — a series
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. swing — in golf
  12. firm — steady
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. firm — decided
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mug — a face
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — the Cold War

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