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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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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: rule · fall · bass · snap · hide · coach · ground · object

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. object — an aim
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. object — a thing
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — government
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rule — a law
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — to protest
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to click

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