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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: rest · kick · coach · rush · bulb · capital · pass · prune

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — money
  12. rest — a break
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — a city
  23. rush — hurry
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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