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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. shower — rain
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lie — an untruth

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