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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — steady
  4. fall — the season
  5. kick — in football
  6. saw — the tool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — a company
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rest — a break
  20. firm — decided
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. drill — army training
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — music

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