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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: cabinet · field · leaves · wound · firm · bore · coach · fan

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. field — for sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bore — to tire
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. firm — a company
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cabinet — ministers

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