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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: pass · club · date · last · hide · shower · wave · coach

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. shower — rain
  14. last — final
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. last — finally
  24. club — a group

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