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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. board — a committee
  18. stand — to bear

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