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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · march · rash · arm · wake · bound · club · root

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. root — of a word
  5. club — a group
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for golf
  8. march — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — certain
  21. march — the month
  22. rash — a series
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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