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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: season · wave · coach · racket · race · firm · bear · tear

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tear — to rip
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. race — the arms race
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. coach — a trainer

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