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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · rest · rock · file · sharp · spell · stick · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — clever
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — a stone
  23. file — a tool
  24. spell — letters

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