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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 120 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: kid · coach · rule · lie · stand · season · perch · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — government
  4. season — of the year
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kid — to tease
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rule — a law
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. coach — a trainer

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