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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a song
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. land — a country
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — ground
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — help
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. track — a path
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — to keep track

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