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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.

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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — government
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pop — music

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