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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · mug · chair · rock · racket · cell · coach · craft

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mug — a face
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. craft — boats
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rock — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rush — a thrill

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