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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rash — a series
  4. swing — music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — to play on
  9. shower — to wash
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bass — low music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — the animal

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