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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 120 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: sharp · pop · lean · deal · bass · coach · mate · cell

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cell — in biology
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bass — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pop — music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — thin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — to visit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — low music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. sharp — clever

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