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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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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: plane · bark · lean · board · straw · bore · coach · ball

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — thin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — to get on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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