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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: roll · cell · wave · coach · chest · date · pass · patient

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cell — in biology
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chest — a box
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. date — the fruit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. roll — on a roll

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