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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 116 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 · rest · coach · game · hand · safe · hide · cue

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — a break
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a signal

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