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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — an aim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — in music
  16. object — a thing
  17. deal — to handle
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — the earth

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