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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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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 · rash · coach · bass · spell · mark · mug · kid

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — magic
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — a series
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mark — a grade
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kid — child
  24. rash — on the skin

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