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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: rest · hide · net · hand · track · coach · wake · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. track — a song
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — a trail
  8. track — a path
  9. rest — a break
  10. hand — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — in sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. hand — help
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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