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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: fork · drill · wave · perch · coach · mug · swing · sharp

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — army training
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mug — a face
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. drill — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mug — to rob

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