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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret

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