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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — in sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. club — for golf
  10. last — finally
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. last — final
  17. season — of the year
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. roll — a cake
  21. club — a group
  22. cap — of ice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — a hat

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