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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 120 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: coach · perch · hide · current · ball · season · object · drill

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — happening now
  3. drill — army training
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a dance
  15. object — a thing
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — of water
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. perch — the fish

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