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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 · wound · cue · file · firm · bay · wake · field

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — a trail
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — decided
  5. file — a tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. field — for sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a document
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. bay — a horse colour

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