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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: lie · bass · key · wave · coach · foot · stand · cell

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. key — in music
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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