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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · squash · fall · coach · object · ball

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — to protest
  17. fall — the season
  18. ball — a round shape

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