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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: cue · object · field · rush · lash · jam · coach · rest

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. field — farmland
  6. object — a thing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. object — an aim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — for sport
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rest — a break
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — a subject
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lash — to lash out

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