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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: rock · coach · fine · deal · arm · bear · last · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. last — finally
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rock — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — to go 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