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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 124 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rash — hasty
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bass — low music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — a series
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — a trace

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