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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 · snap · board · craft · hand · scale · lean · suit

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. suit — in cards
  4. board — a committee
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. snap — to click
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lean — thin
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — a skill
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — boats
  16. suit — clothes
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — help

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