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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: object · mate · coach · hand · scale · nail · shower · foot

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — to protest
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. mate — a partner
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. shower — to wash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — in cards
  16. scale — size or range
  17. shower — rain
  18. object — an aim
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mate — to breed

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