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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: lean · safe · fall · coach · bay · cold · net · hand

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. hand — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hand — help
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — thin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. net — for catching
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cold — not warm

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