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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 120 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: hide · can · ball · coach · bore · chip · arm · lie

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a great time

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