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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.

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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mug — to rob
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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