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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 · coach · tube · lash · toast · pitcher · game · bowl

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. toast — bread

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