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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: board · stick · land · rush · spring · coach · fan · bound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — to come down
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — the season
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spring — a coil
  9. land — a country
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — to get on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — of water
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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