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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — humankind
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — a position
  15. race — a contest
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bass — low music

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