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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: foot · file · rush · mug · fall · coach · current · bear

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — of water
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. foot — part of the body

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