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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hand — help
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — for catching
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spell — magic

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