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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: firm · mate · drill · coach · cold · cabinet · pound · hide

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. firm — a company
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — to keep secret

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