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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. charge — a price
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bass — low music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — to come down
  24. hide — to keep secret

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