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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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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: stick · shower · lie · nail · wave · bowl · coach · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — to recline
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — the time now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. present — there
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. shower — rain
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a football final

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