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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fall — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. content — the amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. snap — to click
  11. fall — to drop
  12. content — happy
  13. key — the most important part
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — to drop

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