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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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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: racket · fall · mark · drill · toast · band · lie · coach

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — a trace
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a ring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — bread
  24. band — a music group

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