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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: rock · bowl · coach · rush · leaves · bear · drill · track

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — a song
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. drill — a practice

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