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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 · pound · patient · face · rule · craft · hide · firm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. craft — boats
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. face — to confront
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — a law
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. face — to point toward
  17. firm — a company
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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