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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · board · date · coach · mine · wound · roll · ruler

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. board — a committee
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — for digging
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — to get on
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. roll — a list
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. roll — a cake
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. toast — bread
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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