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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. clip — a video
  5. bass — the fish
  6. clip — for paper
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. deal — to handle
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ball — a great time
  20. clip — to cut
  21. present — there
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — to hurry

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