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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.

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: dip · coach · season · fine · cold · mark · ball · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. season — in sport
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fine — all right
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cold — not warm
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — of the year
  21. fine — high quality
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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