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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: wave · arm · wake · tear · coach · fork · face · season

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tear — to rip
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — to point toward
  12. season — in sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. season — of the year
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. face — to confront

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