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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: coach · season · lean · ruler · staff · bass · rush · leaves

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — thin
  3. bass — low music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — of the year
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — the fish
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. season — in sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — to bend
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — employees

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