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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 120 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
468
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: season · rest · mark · file · band · mate · staff · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. band — a music group
  5. season — of the year
  6. band — a ring
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — in sport
  10. staff — a stick
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — employees
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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