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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bass — low music
  20. season — of the year
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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