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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. kid — to tease
  6. face — part of the head
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — clothes
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the fish
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. snap — to click
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bass — low music
  22. kid — child
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fall — to drop

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