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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — help
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hand — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — the season
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — low music

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