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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · wound · hide · coach · fan · can · craft · chair

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. craft — boats
  17. can — a tin
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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