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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: rush · bay · object · roll · ground · net · coach · lie

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — after costs
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — to protest
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. roll — a list
  13. object — an aim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. object — a thing

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