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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.

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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: season · coach · arm · dip · rest · cabinet · bay · drill

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — of the year
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. dip — to sink
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — a sauce

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