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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 116 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: stick · firm · ruler · mate · coach · ground · staff · spell

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — a position
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — a friend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spell — magic
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — steady
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — to breed
  22. staff — a stick
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — a partner

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