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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
468
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: nail · arm · cabinet · bark · mate · coach · board · present

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — a committee
  4. present — a gift
  5. mate — to breed
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — the time now
  9. board — to get on
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. present — there
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — ministers

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