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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: track · rush · drill · content · coach · plane · foot · staff

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. foot — a measure
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — the amount
  7. track — a song
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. content — happy
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rush — hurry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. track — a path
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — the tool

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