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

Word bank: rash · wind · snap · board · deal · current · cell · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. current — of water
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. snap — to click
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. current — electric
  15. rash — a series
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a committee
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. board — a flat piece

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