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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.

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: rock · chair · ball · arm · coach · lash · sharp · rest

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chair — a leader
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rest — a break
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rock — music

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