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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · spell · row · coach · bulb · pit · kick · ruler

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spell — letters
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — magic
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. row — a line

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