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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bound · object · coach · arm · land · bass · fork · fall

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. land — ground
  6. object — to protest
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fork — in a road
  10. object — a thing
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. fall — the season
  19. bass — low music
  20. land — to come down
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. land — a country

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