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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · coach · band · can · cold · rush · rest · racket

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. can — to be able to
  5. band — a music group
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rest — a break
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cold — not warm
  15. band — a ring
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — for tennis
  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