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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. mine — for digging
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chest — of your body
  18. shower — rain
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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