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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · stand · fine · wind · arm · shower · hide · coach

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — wild animals
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. shower — rain
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — a match
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wind — moving air

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