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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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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 · coach · pass · rest · saw · mug · cold · dip

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rest — a break
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pass — a permit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mug — a face
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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