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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: craft · wave · lean · coach · field · row · net · spring

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. row — to paddle
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — thin
  7. net — in sport
  8. field — for sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. lean — to bend
  11. field — a subject
  12. spring — a coil
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. row — a line
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — for catching
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — a handicraft

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