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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: leaves · board · fine · squash · date · wave · coach · band

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a ring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. date — the fruit

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