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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — to come down
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. rock — music
  10. land — ground
  11. rest — a break
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bass — the fish
  24. scale — for weighing

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