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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 · rest · pop · deal · coach · spell · wake · rash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rest — a break
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pop — soda
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. wake — a trail
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — a series
  24. spell — a short time

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