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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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 — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. shower — rain
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — a trail
  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