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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: saw · bound · row · stand · season · wake · coach · current

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. current — happening now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — of water
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — electric
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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