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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 120 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
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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: bay · rush · spell · object · season · present · coach · cabinet

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spell — letters
  6. object — to protest
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. object — a thing
  13. spell — magic
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — a short time
  16. season — of the year
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — a gift
  19. object — an aim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — there
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. coach — a trainer

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