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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
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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: game · wave · tear · rash · rest · ruler · track · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a match
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — a break
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. game — wild animals
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — a series
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. track — a song

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