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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: rush · trunk · drill · coach · mate · foot · deal · rock

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. drill — army training
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — a measure
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. deal — to handle
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — to breed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. coach — a trainer

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