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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: spell · coach · sharp · bulb · rule · present · wound · toast

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — letters
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. present — there
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. toast — bread
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. wound — an injury

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