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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 · prune · wave · mark · coach · squash · court · cabinet

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rash — hasty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — of a king
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. court — of law
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — a series
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. squash — to crush

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