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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — low music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. pass — a permit
  8. present — the time now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. present — a gift
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bass — the fish
  23. present — there
  24. mine — for digging

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