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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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 — low music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mug — to rob
  6. last — to go on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. last — final
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. last — finally
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — a division
  21. mug — a face
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a cup
  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