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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rush — hurry
  3. suit — in cards
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rash — hasty
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. suit — to fit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — a list
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. drill — army training
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — thin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lean — to bend
  24. drill — a practice

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