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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — after costs
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. drill — army training
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — a series
  10. craft — boats
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. drill — a practice
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — in sport
  24. rash — hasty

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