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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: coach · wave · cap · cold · season · saw · board · ruler

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — an illness
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — a committee
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. cap — of ice

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