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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fine — all right
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — help
  15. season — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. hand — in cards
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. season — of the year

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