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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. season — in sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — to rip
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — a skill
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tear — from crying

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