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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.

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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
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: rash · coach · mate · kid · squash · lie · chest · hand

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mate — a friend
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — help
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kid — child
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rash — a series
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chest — of your body
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mate — a partner

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