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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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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: calf · bank · race · chest · arm · coach

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. race — a contest
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — of the leg

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