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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: coach · bay · land · prune · bank · hand · wave · rock

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — music
  11. land — to come down
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — help
  16. bank — for money
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. land — ground
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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