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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — help
  10. bass — low music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — a series
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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