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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. row — to paddle
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. game — a match
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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