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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: coach · net · hide · file · mate · key · chair · arm

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. file — a tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. key — the most important part
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — in sport
  18. file — a line of people
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a document
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a partner
  23. net — after costs
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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