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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 120 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: race · coach · wave · plane · sharp · suit · perch · rest

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. plane — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. suit — to fit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rest — a break
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — clothes
  22. race — the arms race
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. suit — in cards

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