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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 120 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: cabinet · club · bay · bass · arm · wave · lie · coach

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. club — for golf
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — a group
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bass — low music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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