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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 · last · bound · board · hand · bank · present · tube

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. last — finally
  3. hand — help
  4. present — there
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — final
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — a gift
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — certain
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — to get on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. hand — in cards

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