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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pound — a weight
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bass — low music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — the season
  18. perch — the fish

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