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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. drill — army training
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — a leader
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wave — of the sea

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