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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · bound · stock · wave · coach · spell · mine · hide

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spell — magic
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stock — goods
  14. spell — letters
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — a short time

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