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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — in control
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — army training
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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