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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — the season
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — with an edge

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