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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.

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: chest · staff · coach · bulb · saw · file · swing · stand

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stand — to bear
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. swing — music
  8. chest — a box
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chest — of your body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a document
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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