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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: drill · stand · cell · coach · arm · face · bank · sharp

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bank — of a river
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. sharp — clever
  8. drill — the tool
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. face — to point toward
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. drill — army training
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to confront

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