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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: coach · board · mate · pitcher · rush · fall · craft · hide

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — to get on
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — boats
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fall — the season
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a committee
  24. pitcher — a jug

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