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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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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: coach · lie · root · bass · sharp · cell · kid · key

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cell — a phone
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cell — in biology
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — of a plant
  11. key — in music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. root — the cause
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — of a word
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. sharp — exactly

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