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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. foot — a measure
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cap — a hat
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. last — finally

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