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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.

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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — a thing
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — a stick
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. march — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. object — an aim
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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