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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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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: bay · swing · coach · wave · bear · dip · last · stem

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. last — final
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — to go on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. swing — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. swing — to play on
  24. last — finally

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