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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: wound · straw · plane · board · race · lie · chip · coach

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — to get on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a committee
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — the arms race
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — to recline
  15. race — humankind
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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