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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: cold · mouse · lash · bass · cabinet · bay · coach · mark

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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