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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: bay · mark · straw · drill · coach · ground · band · arm

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. band — a ring
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — a grade
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. drill — army training
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a music group
  21. mark — a trace
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — a straw man

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