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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — hurry
  10. suit — clothes
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — in cards

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