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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.

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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. land — to come down
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bank — for money
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bass — the fish
  13. land — a country
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. net — in sport
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to tire
  22. land — ground
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. hide — to keep secret

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