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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: bound · coach · calf · arm · current · date · rash · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rash — hasty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — happening now
  11. rash — a series
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. current — electric
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — certain

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