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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. season — of the year
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — low music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the fish
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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