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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 116 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: can · rush · drill · present · lean · fork · coach · craft

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lean — to bend
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — boats
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. drill — a practice
  16. craft — a skill
  17. can — to be able to
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. drill — army training
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — a tin

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