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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: coach · cabinet · wind · snap · jam · arm · pitcher · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — moving air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hand — help
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to click
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. jam — in traffic

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