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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — low music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. game — a match
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — wild animals
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — a trainer

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