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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.

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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. staff — a stick
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rash — a series
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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