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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a music group
  4. charge — in control
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a great time
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — a price
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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