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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — certain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fall — the season
  14. ball — a dance
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fall — to drop
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — low music

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