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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rule — a law
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pop — soda
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spring — the season
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pop — music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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