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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: board · drill · sharp · rush · coach · bay · face · temple

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. face — to point toward
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — a committee
  14. rush — hurry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — part of the head
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. temple — a place of worship

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