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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — magic
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spell — a short time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — the fish

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