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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: wound · wave · arm · coach · mate · ball · jam · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — to paddle
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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