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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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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: wave · swing · ruler · bay · lean · coach · hand · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. roll — a cake
  7. swing — in golf
  8. roll — a list
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — help

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