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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · bass · coach · wake · face · cabinet · suit · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. shower — to wash
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a match
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — to confront
  14. bass — low music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. face — to point toward
  23. shower — rain
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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