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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. firm — decided
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. firm — a company
  20. branch — a division
  21. firm — steady
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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