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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: board · wake · bound · root · cap · sharp · coach · fall

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — the season
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — to get on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cap — a lid
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. board — a committee
  18. root — of a word
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — the cause
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. sharp — exactly

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