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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tube — a container
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — the fish
  9. toast — bread
  10. mate — to breed
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. leaves — lets stay

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