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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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Word bank
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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: bowl · rash · coach · hand · safe · fine · band · cue

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — help
  3. band — a music group
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fine — all right
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rash — a series
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cue — a hint
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — hasty
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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