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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — letters
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. object — an aim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — in control
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spell — magic
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — a short time
  21. object — to protest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — a thing
  24. hand — help

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