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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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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: rest · mug · coach · cell · fall · board · deal · fork

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — a committee
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cell — a phone
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — to get on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — the season
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rest — a break
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. coach — a trainer

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