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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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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: coach · spring · wound · board · mark · perch · leaves · stand

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. board — a committee
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — to get on
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. leaves — lets stay

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