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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: rash · board · wave · lie · safe · saw · jam · coach

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. board — to get on
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — a series
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. coach — a trainer

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