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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 116 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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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: bore · fine · bound · board · hide · coach · craft · field

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — for sport
  7. fine — high quality
  8. field — a subject
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — farmland
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — to drill
  19. board — to get on
  20. fine — all right
  21. bound — obliged
  22. board — a committee
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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