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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — low music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — rain
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lie — to recline
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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