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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — to go on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cell — a phone
  18. last — final
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bass — the instrument

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