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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: lie · trunk · coach · club · mouse · snap · bay · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. club — for golf
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. club — a group
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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