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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 120 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: mine · arm · coach · cue · bound · suit · stand · mark

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bound — obliged
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bound — certain
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bound — tied together
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — for pool
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cue — a signal

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