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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: lean · bass · face · coach · spell · lie · hand · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to confront
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — letters
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spell — magic
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — thin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hand — help

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