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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: toast · fork · squash · coach · patient · drill · chair · rush

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — a practice
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — the tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. squash — the sport
  24. toast — bread

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