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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — for sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — army training
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. row — a line
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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