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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: hide · stick · mark · bay · bore · nail · coach · net

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mark — a trace

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