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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: bore · clip · arm · rock · wind · coach · stand · board

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stand — to bear
  5. clip — for paper
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. clip — to cut
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. clip — a video
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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