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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 120 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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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. hide — animal skin
  4. craft — boats
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a music group
  12. board — to get on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. board — a committee
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kid — child
  24. hide — to keep secret

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