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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: coach · root · wave · wind · mate · shower · bowl · season

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — of the year
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. season — in sport
  9. root — of a word
  10. mate — a friend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. root — the cause
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — to wash
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bowl — a football final

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