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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: staff · arm · mouse · capital · firm · coach · bay · shower

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. staff — a stick
  10. firm — decided
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. capital — money
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. capital — a city
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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