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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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468
Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — the earth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the fish
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chest — a box
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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