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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 116 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
468
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: coach · mine · degree · safe · straw · key · bore · swing

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. swing — music
  12. key — in music
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mine — for digging
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. swing — to play on
  24. key — for a lock

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