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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: plane · current · coach · straw · pop · lie · saw · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. current — electric
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pop — to visit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — to recline
  18. current — happening now
  19. pop — soda
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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