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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: hide · charge · chest · coach · foot · mouse · plane · wound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — a price
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chest — a box
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — of your body
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — the animal

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