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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: date · coach · leaves · foot · fall · bowl · mug · rush

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — a cup
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mug — a face
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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