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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: cell · bass · spell · kick · firm · coach · rash · fan

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cell — a phone
  4. spell — magic
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. firm — decided
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. kick — in football
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — a company
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. firm — steady
  20. spell — letters
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — a thrill

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