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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: court · wave · spell · tear · game · jam · coach · straw

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spell — magic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. game — a match
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — wild animals
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. court — for sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. court — of law
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — a tight spot

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