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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.

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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: pass · stick · squash · coach · mate · drill · cue · rest

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rest — a break
  7. cue — a signal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — army training
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rest — what's left

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