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

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. suit — to fit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — clothes
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tube — a container
  21. pass — a permit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — rain
  24. bound — tied together

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