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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · bay · ground · wind · ruler · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break

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