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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pass — a permit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — in cards
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — decided
  14. hand — help
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. firm — a company
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hand — 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