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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: staff · stand · bark · arm · suit · face · coach · roll

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — to fit
  11. roll — a list
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bark — to shout
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — clothes
  24. arm — part of the body

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