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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: arm · sharp · present · swing · rush · lie · coach · bound

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bound — obliged
  5. present — there
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — a gift
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — the time now
  24. rush — to hurry

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