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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: bound · mark · bass · hide · row · spell · coach · jam

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mark — a grade
  6. row — a line
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — magic
  17. mark — a trace
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — certain
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mark — to pay attention

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