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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bass — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. suit — to fit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a leader
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low 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