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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. snap — to click
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — the season
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — all right
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — low music

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