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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · board · cap · coach · land · hide · dip · squash

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. squash — to crush
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — ground
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — a hat
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — a country
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. land — to come down
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cap — of ice
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. squash — the sport

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