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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — a path
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. track — to keep track
  17. club — a group
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. staff — a stick

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