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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: coach · wound · court · wave · mouse · lean · wake · firm

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. firm — steady
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — thin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — a trail
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of law
  24. firm — a company

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