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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: plane · coach · present · sharp · chest · toast · stand · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — the time now
  7. chest — a box
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — a tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. present — a gift
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stand — to bear
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — of your body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. present — there
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. toast — bread
  24. coach — a trainer

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