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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bass — low music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — of water
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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