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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
468
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: wave · season · cabinet · saw · coach · leaves · spell · net

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — after costs
  11. season — of the year
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — for catching
  20. spell — magic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — with your hand

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