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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
468
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: straw · trunk · squash · rush · pass · coach · pound · drill

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. squash — to crush
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — to hurry

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