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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: coach · drill · mate · wave · season · spell · perch · rush

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. drill — a practice
  2. rush — hurry
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spell — magic
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — letters
  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