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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
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: swing · jam · wind · cabinet · squash · coach · tube · bat

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. squash — to crush
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. swing — music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. tube — the underground
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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