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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: fall · hide · current · cabinet · racket · rush · coach · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — of water
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rush — hurry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — electric
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — the season
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — ministers

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