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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · coach · cold · mouse · rush · object · dip · wave

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — a thing
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wind — moving air
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — an aim
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. object — to protest

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