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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ruler · jam · bat · hide · season · coach · plane · swing

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. season — in sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. season — of the year
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bat — the animal
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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