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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — the tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rest — a break
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. drill — army training
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. bass — low 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