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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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. bass — the fish
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — boats
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — for a computer

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