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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ruler · mine · coach · key · lash · clip · bass · drill

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — army training
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. drill — the tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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