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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: coach · craft · rock · hide · arm · bound · nail · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — certain
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a dance
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. craft — boats
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — tied together

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