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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — low music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cap — a lid
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. toast — the most admired
  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