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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. last — final
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bound — certain
  11. craft — boats
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bass — the fish
  15. last — to go on
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. last — finally
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bass — low music

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