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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — low music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rock — music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a path
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wind — to turn a key

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