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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: cold · coach · saw · cabinet · bear · board · rest · mine

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. board — to get on
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rest — a break
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — the tool

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