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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: coach · bass · mug · object · rock · shower · snap · hand

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. object — to protest
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — to wash
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bass — low music
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — rain
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a face
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rock — a stone

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