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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 · dip · last · bass · rule · net · wave · content

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. last — final
  5. net — in sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — low music
  8. content — the amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — the fish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — finally
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. content — happy
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rule — government
  23. last — to go on
  24. dip — to sink

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