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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
468
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 · stock · coach · fan · toast · hide · straw · chair

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stock — shares
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. straw — a straw man

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