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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 116 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: suit · coach · bass · safe · sharp · board · tear · land

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — a committee
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — the fish
  7. land — ground
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. suit — in cards
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — clothes
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tear — from crying
  15. land — to come down
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — a country
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. coach — a trainer

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