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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.

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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: bowl · bay · coach · spell · wave · drill · mate · tube

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. drill — army training
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — a container
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — letters

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