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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — a break
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — an injury

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