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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bat — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. key — in music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bore — to drill
  20. hand — help
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to tire

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