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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — in music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wind — moving air
  6. season — of the year
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. season — in sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — soda
  23. face — part of the head
  24. scale — for weighing

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