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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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 · coach · chair · stick · sharp · wake · shower · squash

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. squash — the sport
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. board — a committee
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. shower — rain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. board — to get on
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. sharp — clever
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. squash — to crush

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