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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bore — to drill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. arm — part of the body

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