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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 · hide · kid · mouse · pound · fine · cell · rash

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rash — a series
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fine — all right
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pound — to hit hard

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