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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 116 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: chair · lash · coach · pass · deal · staff · board · squash

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. board — to get on
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a committee
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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