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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. clip — to cut
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. net — in sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — steady
  13. clip — for paper
  14. firm — decided
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — low music
  20. firm — a company
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. clip — a video
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — a place of worship

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