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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 · land · rock · arm · charge · cap · bark · coach

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cap — a lid
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — ground
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cap — of ice
  19. land — a country
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a hat

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