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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.

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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: firm · rest · season · game · hide · shower · bound · coach

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a match
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. firm — a company
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — to wash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — steady
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. firm — decided
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — certain
  18. shower — rain
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — wild animals
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bound — obliged

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