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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. squash — the sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. snap — to click
  10. branch — a division
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — magic
  21. bass — low music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hide — to keep secret

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