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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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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: rest · coach · pass · rule · perch · stick · leaves · nail

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — a break
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — a law
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — to spend 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