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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. press — to push
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. suit — to fit
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. object — to protest
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — an aim
  19. press — a publisher
  20. object — a thing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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