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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hide · mine · drill · suit · coach · row · pit · leaves

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a line
  17. suit — clothes
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. drill — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pit — a hole
  22. row — to paddle
  23. drill — army training
  24. hide — to keep secret

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