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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: present · rash · spell · key · roll · coach · tear · firm

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — in music
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — letters
  7. present — the time now
  8. roll — a list
  9. tear — to rip
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. present — there
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rash — a series
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — a gift
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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