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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 116 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: hide · kid · deal · plane · bark · mug · coach · drill

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mug — a face
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — child
  6. mug — a cup
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — army training
  13. bark — to shout
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. hide — to keep secret

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