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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: hand · coach · cap · chair · wake · ball · perch · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ball — a great time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cap — a lid
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hand — help
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chair — a leader

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