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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. race — humankind
  6. bass — low music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — a weight
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. patient — a sick person

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