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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: staff · rest · fan · sharp · march · race · kick · coach

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — humankind
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — a stick
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. sharp — clever
  12. march — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — the month
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — in football
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rest — a break
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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