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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 · bat · hide · coach · spell · nail · roll · wake

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bass — low music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. spell — magic
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. roll — a list
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — a cake
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — in an idiom

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