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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: wave · board · chest · coach · drill · spell · stock · mug

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — magic
  5. mug — a face
  6. drill — army training
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mug — a cup
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — a box
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. mug — to rob
  24. board — to get on

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