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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: race · cabinet · drill · coach · rush · roll · date · suit

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rush — hurry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. race — a contest
  10. drill — the tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. suit — clothes
  15. drill — army training
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cabinet — ministers

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