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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: wound · pass · wave · cell · drill · stick · content · coach

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cell — in biology
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — the amount
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. drill — the tool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — army training
  24. content — happy

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