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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. court — of law
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. court — of a king
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chest — a box
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — for catching
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. net — in sport
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — low music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. net — after costs
  23. court — for sport
  24. rash — a series

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