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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
468
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: hide · board · rock · lie · craft · stem · bowl · coach

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. board — to get on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — music
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. craft — a handicraft

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