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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.

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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: fine · band · swing · drill · staff · wave · coach · face

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fine — high quality
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. band — a music group
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. drill — army training
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. face — to confront
  20. fine — all right
  21. swing — music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. drill — a practice

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