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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: bear · chest · cabinet · net · stand · mine · deal · coach

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. mine — for digging
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chest — a box
  24. deal — a big deal

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