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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: rash · object · coach · land · toast · drill · leaves · nail

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. object — an aim
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. land — to come down
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. toast — bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — ground
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — hasty

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