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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.

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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. shower — rain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cold — not warm
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bass — low music
  9. hand — help
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rock — a stone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — to wash

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