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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 · file · roll · cell · kid · coach · safe · stand

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. cell — a phone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. file — a tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kid — child
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. track — to keep track
  17. file — a line of people
  18. track — a song
  19. roll — a cake
  20. file — a document
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. coach — a trainer
  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