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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.

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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: race · can · rush · rest · bat · coach · season · lie

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rest — a break
  3. bat — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — in sport
  6. race — a contest
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. race — humankind
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. bat — in an idiom

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