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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rock — music

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