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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: coach · cell · swing · can · trunk · arm · net · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cell — a phone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. net — for catching
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. swing — to play 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