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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · bound · coach · capital · kick · face · prune · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — obliged
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. bound — certain
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — tied together
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. face — part of the head
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. capital — a big letter
  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