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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · hide · firm · coach · tube · craft · cell · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. craft — a skill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — electric
  13. firm — decided
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — a phone
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — of water
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — steady
  24. coach — a trainer

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