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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 · bound · lash · saw · cell · game · cap · wave

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — certain
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bound — obliged
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. saw — the tool

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