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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cap — a lid
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rock — music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — low music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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