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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. rash — a series
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. drill — army training
  4. march — the month
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — of ice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — with your hand
  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