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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 120 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 · straw · current · last · bowl · safe · rest

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. last — final
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. last — finally
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. last — to go on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — electric

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