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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.

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: bay · spring · drill · fork · coach · net · last · mug

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. last — to go on
  2. mug — a face
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. net — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spring — the season
  8. mug — to rob
  9. drill — army training
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — final
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. last — finally
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. net — after costs
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. net — for catching
  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