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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kid — child
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — decided
  7. track — a path
  8. firm — steady
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. track — a song
  22. firm — a company
  23. pass — a permit
  24. track — to keep track

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