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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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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: straw · nail · craft · board · vault · coach · firm · kid

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. craft — boats
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — child
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. firm — decided
  13. kid — to tease
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. board — to get on
  20. craft — a skill
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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