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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: file · wave · coach · staff · lie · shower · mug · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. net — in sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a cup
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — a face
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mug — to rob
  24. coach — a trainer

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