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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: squash · season · rock · board · coach · arm · stem · rash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. squash — to crush
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — hasty
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rock — music
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rash — a series
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stem — to come from
  23. season — in sport
  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