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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: band · arm · roll · coach · craft · spell · bore · hide

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. roll — a cake
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a music group
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. arm — a part of something

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