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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: coach · deal · pound · band · foot · hand · nail · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. band — a music group
  18. hand — in cards
  19. band — a ring
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hand — help
  24. hide — animal skin

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