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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.

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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: toast · swing · kid · coach · mouse · object · squash · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. swing — music
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — child
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. object — a thing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. toast — bread

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