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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.

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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pop — soda
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — to visit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mark — a trace
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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