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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
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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: bat · band · coach · foot · wave · wake · bowl · last

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bat — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. last — to go on
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. band — a music group
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. last — final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. band — a ring

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