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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 120 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: straw · rash · cabinet · pit · sharp · bound · coach · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pit — in a race
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — a series
  5. bound — tied together
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. drill — army training
  15. rash — hasty
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. sharp — clever
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cabinet — ministers

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