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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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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: track · coach · staff · wake · lash · nail · bound · board

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — a trail
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bound — tied together
  13. staff — employees
  14. board — a committee
  15. track — a path
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — to keep track
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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