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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — a subject
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — boats
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — farmland
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — a handicraft

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