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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 · drill · stand · suit · wound · spell · chest · race

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — a short time
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — army training
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chest — of your body
  18. suit — to fit
  19. race — a contest
  20. spell — letters
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chest — a box
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — on your feet

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