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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: deal · rest · club · wake · staff · coach · fan · drill

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. club — for golf
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. drill — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — a group
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — for dancing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wake — a trail

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