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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kid — child
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. court — of a king
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. present — the time now

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