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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: bank · clip · board · coach · mug · bay · row · arm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. board — to get on
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — a video
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. row — a line
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — to paddle
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — a committee

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