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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
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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: mug · foot · temple · cold · wax · press · coach · swing

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — to play on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — to rob
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mug — a face
  16. swing — in golf
  17. press — to push
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cold — an illness
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — a publisher

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