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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.

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: chest · track · fork · game · can · coach · hide · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. track — a song
  6. last — to go on
  7. chest — a box
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. track — a path
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — final
  24. track — to keep track

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