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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: craft · coach · chest · cold · leaves · arm · suit · fan

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. suit — in cards
  5. craft — boats
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cold — an illness
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cold — not warm
  24. chest — of your body

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