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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · coach · hide · cabinet · staff · fall · net · can

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — a break
  18. net — after costs
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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