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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 120 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: firm · coach · bound · board · cold · lie · present · rock

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rock — music
  5. firm — decided
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — tied together
  9. board — to get on
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — certain
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a committee
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rock — to move gently

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