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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 120 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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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: race · chair · content · bank · cell · coach · arm · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — the amount
  5. race — a contest
  6. content — happy
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chair — a leader
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. race — humankind
  24. trunk — of a car

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