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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bass — low music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spring — the season
  16. board — to get on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spring — of water
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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