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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 · last · drill · coach · racket · suit · face · ball

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. suit — in cards
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ball — a dance
  8. drill — army training
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. last — to go on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — to fit
  19. drill — a practice
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. face — to confront
  22. drill — the tool
  23. last — final
  24. racket — for tennis

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