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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: content · rush · clip · rest · present · coach · mug · stock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. present — there
  4. stock — shares
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rest — a break
  8. clip — to cut
  9. present — the time now
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. content — happy
  13. rest — what's left
  14. content — the amount
  15. stock — goods
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — to rob
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — a trainer
  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