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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.

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: swing · nail · cold · bay · coach · pitcher · stand · leaves

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — music
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. swing — to play on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stand — to bear
  24. leaves — of a tree

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