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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
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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: fan · mine · track · arm · coach · ground · rush · saw

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — the earth
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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