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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: toast · cold · safe · net · bore · craft · coach · object

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. craft — boats
  6. net — in sport
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. net — after costs
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bore — to drill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. toast — bread
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cold — not warm
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. net — for catching
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. coach — a trainer

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