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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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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: firm · press · rule · shower · mouse · wave · wake · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. firm — steady
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — a law
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. shower — to wash
  9. firm — decided
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. shower — rain
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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