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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — hurry
  13. firm — decided
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. firm — a company
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mark — a trace
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — a series

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