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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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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: race · hand · mate · firm · rest · coach · pit · rush

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. firm — a company
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — humankind
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — steady
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — help
  17. pit — in a race
  18. firm — decided
  19. race — a contest
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hand — 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