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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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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: wave · stick · coach · tear · rest · game · drill · deal

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. drill — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — army training
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — to rip
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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