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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: coach · saw · face · stand · band · kid · board · bowl

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — a committee
  9. face — to confront
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — to tease
  13. band — a ring
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. board — to get on
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stand — to bear
  24. coach — a trainer

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