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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 120 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 · suit · fine · mouse · shower · last · net · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — finally
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. shower — rain
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. last — to go on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — high quality
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — final
  19. net — after costs
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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