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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.

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: coach · field · roll · lash · mouse · cell · wound · safe

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. field — a subject
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — farmland
  19. cell — a phone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — for sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. safe — out of danger

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