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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — low music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. snap — to click
  9. pop — to visit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pop — soda
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. board — a committee
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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