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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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468
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: board · club · cell · leaves · nail · pass · file · coach

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. file — a document
  8. cell — a phone
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. file — a line of people
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a tool
  15. club — a group
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — to get on
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. board — a committee

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