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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: coach · fan · fine · cue · chest · stem · present · arm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chest — a box
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — all right
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — there
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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