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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a leader
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bound — certain
  8. firm — a company
  9. row — a line
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — to get on
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bound — obliged
  21. board — a committee
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. firm — decided

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