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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: arm · pitcher · rush · lie · cold · bass · coach · suit

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cold — not warm
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. suit — to fit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bass — low music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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