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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 120 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: tube · sharp · coach · hide · firm · field · row · charge

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. firm — steady
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. firm — decided
  8. sharp — clever
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — in control
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — a container
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. field — farmland
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — a line
  23. field — for sport
  24. sharp — with an edge

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