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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — in sport
  11. bound — tied together
  12. net — after costs
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — low music
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — for catching
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bass — the fish

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