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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.

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: nail · tube · arm · coach · rest · march · rock · present

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — a container
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. march — the month
  16. present — there
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — the time now
  19. rock — music
  20. march — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. present — a gift
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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