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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bass — low music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to point toward
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a horse colour

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