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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bass — low music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. key — in music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — for a lock
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kick — in football
  19. fork — in a road
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ball — a great time
  22. key — the most important part
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ball — a round shape

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