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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. club — a group
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — low music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — a phone
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — to fit

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