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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
468
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: drill · rush · perch · march · club · coach · hide · ruler

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — hurry
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — army training
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — a group
  16. perch — the fish
  17. club — for golf
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. march — music

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