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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for golf
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rock — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — a trail

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