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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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 — for sport
  4. roll — a list
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — a cake
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. field — farmland
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — a subject
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hide — animal skin

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