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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: hand · file · leaves · band · vault · rash · racket · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. band — a music group
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hand — in cards
  20. file — a tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — hasty
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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