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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: coach · bulb · bore · wind · swing · stand · arm · trunk

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wind — moving air
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — to play on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to drill
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wind — to turn a key

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