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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: fall · wave · coach · kick · stand · tube · perch · deal

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — a container
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. tube — the underground
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fall — to drop

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