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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — of water
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — low music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — for sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — electric
  22. court — of a king
  23. lean — thin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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