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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hand — help
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — the underground
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. object — a thing
  14. tube — a container
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — an aim
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hide — to keep secret

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