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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: face · club · rush · hand · bore · pass · mug · coach

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mug — a cup
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mug — to rob
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bore — to tire
  11. club — for golf
  12. pass — a permit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bore — to drill
  17. club — a group
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. face — to confront
  23. mug — a face
  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