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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — music
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — electric
  17. stem — to come from
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stem — of a plant

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