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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.

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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 · cabinet · suit · bear · wind · coach · fan · cold

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bear — the animal

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