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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: nail · squash · pound · race · wave · coach · rush · board

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — humankind
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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