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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — obliged
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. last — to go on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rush — hurry
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — farmland
  15. bound — certain
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. field — for sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. last — final
  24. field — a subject

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