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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: arm · coach · bat · wake · clip · suit · present · fan

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. present — the time now
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. present — there
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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