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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · race · hand · bark · fork · coach · rash · lie

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. race — humankind
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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