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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — to recline
  4. press — a publisher
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — ground
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bore — to drill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. press — to push
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bass — low music

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