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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
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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: jam · hide · coach · spell · bass · dip · bark · face

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — letters
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — to confront
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bark — to shout
  20. spell — a short time
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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