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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 116 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: object · bass · land · key · staff · stand · face · coach

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. staff — employees
  3. key — the most important part
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. bass — the fish
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bass — low music
  21. object — an aim
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. staff — employees

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