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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: wound · coach · club · chair · pound · snap · arm · wake

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. club — for dancing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. club — a group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. snap — to click
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for golf
  24. arm — a part of something

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