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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: coach · rush · rock · wind · rash · lean · cold · mark

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rash — a series
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rock — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cold — not warm
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rash — hasty

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