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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
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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: mug · date · drill · saw · wind · foot · coach · rash

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — a practice
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rash — a series
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mug — a face
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. drill — army training
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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