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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — a hint
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kid — child
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. kid — to tease
  13. press — to push
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rock — a stone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. press — newspapers
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. sharp — with an edge

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