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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 · cell · current · deal · arm · object · mate · bound

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bound — certain
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — obliged
  9. object — an aim
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. current — of water
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. object — a thing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — happening now
  22. deal — to handle
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — tied together

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