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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · board · hide · coach · cold · saw · wake · arm

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fall — the season
  7. cold — an illness
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cold — not warm
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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