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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.

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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — ground
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. land — to come down
  8. kid — child
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — of the year
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rest — a break
  19. land — a country
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. season — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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