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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. season — in sport
  8. kid — to tease
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. fall — the season
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — soda
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — child
  18. bass — low music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — to visit

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