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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.

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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 · hide · craft · safe · kid · present · land · bowl

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — child
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — a gift
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kid — to tease
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — the time now
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. craft — boats
  19. land — a country
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — ground
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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