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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.

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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: safe · board · bay · fan · dip · rash · game · coach

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — to get on
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — a series
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — a committee
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. game — a match
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a horse colour

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