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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — a lid
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. net — after costs
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fine — all right
  23. rest — a break
  24. rock — a stone

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