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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: lie · can · bay · bore · coach · chip · land · bass

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. land — a country
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. land — to come down
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — low music

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