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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 120 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: coach · row · cabinet · bowl · deal · fall · rest · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — a break
  6. deal — to handle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bass — the fish
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a line
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — the season
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fall — to drop

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