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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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468
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: club · lean · coach · fall · press · safe · board · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. board — a committee
  10. press — newspapers
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. club — a group
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — to push
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — a publisher
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. club — for golf

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