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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · row · hand · leaves · coach · ruler · deal

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hand — in cards
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. date — the fruit
  24. hand — part of the body

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