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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.

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: sharp · row · pass · coach · fine · mine · current · hand

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fine — high quality
  17. row — to paddle
  18. hand — help
  19. current — of water
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — a line
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fine — all right

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