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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the sport
  17. chest — a box
  18. rock — a stone
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bass — low music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spring — the season

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