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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bass — the fish
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chair — a leader

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