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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: track · wake · file · cabinet · coach · hand · last · safe

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — final
  5. hand — help
  6. track — a song
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. last — finally
  17. track — to keep track
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — to go on
  24. track — a path

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