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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pop — to visit
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — ground
  8. can — a tin
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — a law
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. land — a country
  16. bass — low music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — the season
  23. face — to confront
  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