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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · plane · club · chair · bore · hide · last

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — hasty
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — for golf
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rash — a series
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. club — a group
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. last — to go on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a leader
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — final
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rash — on the 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