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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — final
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kick — in football
  8. rash — a series
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — all right
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — high quality
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. last — finally
  22. rock — music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kick — with a leg

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