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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 116 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: coach · file · lie · hide · key · race · trunk · row

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. row — a line
  4. race — a contest
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. race — humankind
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. file — a line of people
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a document
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. race — the arms race
  23. file — a tool
  24. trunk — of a tree

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