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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.

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
468
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: coach · wave · season · march · mine · staff · wind · dip

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wind — moving air
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. march — the month
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. season — of the year
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — the month
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wind — moving air
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — with your hand

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