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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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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: object · coach · cap · hide · deal · shower · foot · fork

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. object — to protest
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. object — an aim
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — to handle
  10. foot — a measure
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cap — a hat
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  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