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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: band · stick · leaves · swing · key · root · wave · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. swing — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — of a word
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a music group
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. root — the cause
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — in music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. root — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. coach — a trainer

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