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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: wind · hide · roll · chest · rock · mark · coach · fork

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rock — music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wind — moving air

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