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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — the season
  4. object — to protest
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chest — of your body
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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