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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — of the year
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — of the sea

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