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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 116 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: rash · fall · lie · rush · coach · pass · bank · pop

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — the season
  3. pop — soda
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — a series
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pop — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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