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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. file — a tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ball — a great time

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