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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 124 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hand — help
  18. roll — a list
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. roll — a cake
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. coach — a trainer

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