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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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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: spell · bound · mate · board · hand · coach · rest · arm

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — magic
  5. board — a committee
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hand — in cards
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — tied together
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spell — letters
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rest — a break
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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