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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. land — to come down
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bass — the fish
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — letters
  20. land — ground
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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