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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 120 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: season · coach · lie · ruler · capital · swing · safe · mug

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — of the year
  12. swing — to play on
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lie — to recline
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. capital — money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. capital — a city
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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