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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chest — of your body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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