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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: saw · coach · season · wave · bound · bass · present · wake

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bound — certain
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. present — the time now
  19. bass — low music
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — of the year
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — tied together

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