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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
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: coach · spell · object · rock · march · rest · content · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. march — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — a thing
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — magic
  14. march — the month
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — music
  19. object — to protest
  20. content — the amount
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — an aim
  24. leaves — lets stay

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