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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: net · perch · wave · coach · current · deal · arm · last

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. last — final
  6. current — electric
  7. last — to go on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. last — finally
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — to handle
  18. perch — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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