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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: deal · staff · coach · mouse · cue · wound · safe · chest

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — a box
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. staff — a stick
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cue — for pool

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