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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: saw · board · object · mark · season · wind · coach · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. object — an aim
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. object — to protest
  12. board — to get on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mark — a grade
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — in sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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