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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kid — child
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bass — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — rain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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