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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: suit · calf · root · fall · cold · swing · straw · coach

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — the cause
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fall — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. swing — in golf
  16. root — of a word
  17. cold — an illness
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fall — to drop
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a plant

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