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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — low music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bass — the fish
  6. season — in sport
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. key — for a lock
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — in music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — of the year
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lean — to rest against

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