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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. drill — army training
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. plane — a tool

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