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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 116 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 · drill · rush · ground · wound · ball · file · coach

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. ground — a position
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ground — the earth
  11. drill — army training
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ground — crushed

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