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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: chest · plane · last · rush · drill · current · coach · rule

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. last — finally
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rule — a law
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rule — government
  11. rush — hurry
  12. last — final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. current — electric
  18. drill — army training
  19. last — to go on
  20. chest — of your body
  21. drill — a practice
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. current — of water

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