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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: ground · lie · coach · rash · craft · fall · sharp · hand

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — clever
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — a series
  7. hand — in cards
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — hasty
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — a position
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. hand — help
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hand — part of the body

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