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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: mate · wave · key · coach · tear · pop · cabinet · trunk

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pop — to visit
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mate — a partner
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — in music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pop — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — to breed

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