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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — low music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. foot — a measure

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