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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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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: jam · coach · mate · drill · cabinet · race · rest · kick

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — humankind
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mate — a partner
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. mate — a friend
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. kick — with a leg

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