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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · cabinet · coach · present · land · pound · wake · bass

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wake — a trail
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pound — a weight
  6. present — a gift
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bass — low music
  10. present — the time now
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — to come down
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the fish
  20. face — to confront
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — there
  24. land — a country

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