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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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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. can — to be able to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. roll — a list
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — the instrument

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