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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — music
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — a container
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — for catching
  15. tube — the underground
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — a practice
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. drill — army training
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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