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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · bat · rock · lean · ruler · rush · coach · pit

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lean — thin
  24. bear — the animal

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