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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.

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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: rest · wake · drill · key · coach · wind · race · content

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — army training
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. race — a contest
  6. key — for a lock
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rest — a break
  15. race — the arms race
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. content — the amount
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. race — humankind
  23. drill — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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