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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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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: cell · root · mug · swing · fine · stand · fall · coach

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. root — of a word
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mug — a face
  13. fine — all right
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cell — a phone
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. fall — the season
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. swing — to play on
  23. root — the cause
  24. cell — in biology

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