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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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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: rest · wave · board · mouse · tear · file · coach · mate

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. tear — from crying
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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