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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 116 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: cell · spell · wake · coach · shower · pop · wave · plane

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — magic
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pop — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. shower — rain
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spell — letters
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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