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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 · bay · file · chest · row · bound · key · craft

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. file — a tool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — in music
  5. file — a document
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. row — a line
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chest — a box
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bound — certain
  24. key — for a lock

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