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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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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 · ground · current · band · plane · pass · hide · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. current — of water
  3. band — a music group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. current — electric
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. band — a ring
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — happening now

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