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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.

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: arm · rest · board · wind · rash · coach · can · land

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — a country
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — what's left
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rest — a break
  14. can — to be able to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. land — ground
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rash — a series
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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