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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — music
  9. roll — a list
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lean — thin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lean — to rest against

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