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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: cap · coach · wave · wake · board · jam · face · row

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. row — to paddle
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wake — a trail
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — to get on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — a line
  22. face — to confront
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. row — a quarrel

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