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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 · march · coach · fan · game · safe · hand · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. game — a match
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. game — wild animals
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — music

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