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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: bass · cold · bound · bulb · mark · coach · foot · shower

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bass — low music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — rain
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cold — not warm
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — tied together

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