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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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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rest — a break
  10. mug — a face
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mug — to rob
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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