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

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

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. race — humankind
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — a contest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chest — of your body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. 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