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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: sharp · rest · spell · rash · bowl · bay · branch · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. branch — a division
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — hasty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rash — a series
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spell — letters
  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