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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 120 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: rush · bowl · drill · shower · wake · wave · arm · coach

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. drill — the tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — rain
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. drill — army training
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. drill — a practice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. arm — a part of something

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