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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: face · bass · present · safe · coach · mug · stick · fall

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — the season
  6. bass — low music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. present — a gift
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mug — a face
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. present — the time now

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