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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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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — to get on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cue — a signal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cold — an illness

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