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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 120 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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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: coach · mate · wound · shower · bay · stand · kid · chip

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kid — to tease
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kid — child
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mate — to breed
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. shower — rain
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wound — an injury

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