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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — decided
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — steady
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — a company
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. drill — army training
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cell — in biology
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — low music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. lean — thin

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