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

Word bank: row · bay · chest · board · coach · race · wave · saw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. row — a line
  5. race — humankind
  6. board — to get on
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chest — a box
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. row — to paddle
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. race — a contest
  24. chest — of your body

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