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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: coach · suit · wave · rush · arm · fork · snap · chest

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — a box
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to click
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — a thrill

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