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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. staff — employees
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a trace
  11. object — an aim
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. object — a thing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cold — an illness
  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