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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.

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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 · can · arm · hand · band · root · fan · rule

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — help
  9. root — the cause
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. band — a ring
  16. hand — in cards
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a music group
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — a tin

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