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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
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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: saw · club · rash · bay · wave · shower · ground · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ground — a position
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — rain
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for dancing

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