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

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spell — letters
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pop — to visit
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — music
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spell — magic
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fall — the season

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