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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. last — to go on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. last — finally
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bass — low music
  15. kid — child
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — boats
  18. can — to be able to
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a face
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. last — final

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