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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: mug · lean · race · ball · object · sharp · wind · coach

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a great time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — a thing
  7. wind — moving air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — to protest
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mug — to rob

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