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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
468
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: straw · arm · coach · spell · bowl · charge · bore · board

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spell — magic
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. board — a committee
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. charge — in control
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spell — a short time
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. board — to get on

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