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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rest — a break
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. current — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — electric
  7. bass — low music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. current — happening now
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — in a road
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to click
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. content — the amount
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — happy
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — a horse colour

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