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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: coach · kid · hand · toast · saw · deal · leaves · staff

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kid — child
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — help
  11. toast — bread
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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