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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: fine · can · bear · kid · hand · rest · coach · leaves

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — all right
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — a break
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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