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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: mug · foot · board · coach · race · face · pound · hide

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — humankind
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. race — a contest
  14. face — to confront
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a committee
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. race — the arms race

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