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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bass — the fish
  4. shower — rain
  5. band — a ring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. swing — in golf
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. board — a committee
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — low music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. band — a music group
  22. board — to get on
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hide — animal skin

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