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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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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 · bass · fall · snap · hide · plane · ruler · pit

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. snap — to click
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bass — low music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fall — the season
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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