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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: craft · net · hide · coach · can · sharp · rush · stand

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. net — in sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a skill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. net — for catching
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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