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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: chest · coach · lie · shower · scale · season · wave · can

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — to wash
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — of the year
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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