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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · fine · rush · bound · coach · squash · chest · mark

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — certain
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — high quality

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