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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: coach · net · race · hide · rock · fine · spell · mouse

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. rock — music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. net — in sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. race — humankind
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — for catching
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — letters
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. net — after costs
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — all right

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