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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.

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: wave · mug · toast · bass · cue · coach · lean · wound

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. toast — bread
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — a cup
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bass — low music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — a face
  24. lean — to bend

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