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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: firm · row · clip · lean · mug · fan · coach · board

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. firm — steady
  4. row — a line
  5. lean — thin
  6. board — a committee
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — decided
  9. clip — a video
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. firm — a company
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. coach — a trainer

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