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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: chest · snap · hand · bass · ruler · cabinet · current · coach

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hand — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hand — help
  5. snap — to click
  6. bass — the fish
  7. current — happening now
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — of water
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. current — electric
  20. chest — a box
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bass — the instrument

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