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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. suit — in cards
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. coach — a trainer

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