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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 · present · bay · perch · shower · wave · mark · spring

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — the time now
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — to wash
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. present — there
  12. shower — rain
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mark — a grade
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mark — to pay attention

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