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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: bark · board · deal · safe · coach · chest · rest · straw

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — to get on
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — a break
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chest — a box
  24. bark — to shout

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