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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: bass · sharp · stand · hide · rash · coach · straw · face

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bass — low music
  24. sharp — exactly

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