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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · current · last · wave · craft · hide · coach · roll

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — to go on
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — happening now
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. roll — a cake
  19. current — electric
  20. last — finally
  21. roll — a list
  22. last — final
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. coach — a trainer

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