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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: fan · rush · cell · rock · coach · net · present · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — for catching
  12. foot — a measure
  13. present — a gift
  14. rock — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. net — in sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. net — after costs
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fan — a supporter

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