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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: suit · wake · kid · cold · arm · trunk · coach · cabinet

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cold — not warm
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — an illness
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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