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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: coach · bear · chest · board · deal · shower · clip · pass

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — for paper
  20. board — a committee
  21. clip — a video
  22. shower — rain
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chest — a box

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