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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: foot · roll · swing · saw · mouse · coach · rock · sharp

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. swing — to play on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. roll — a list
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. swing — in golf
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rock — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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