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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: present · leaves · squash · can · coach · ground · rest · hand

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. present — the time now
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hand — help
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — the earth
  12. present — there
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — crushed
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — a break
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — a gift

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