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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · hide · bowl · foot · staff · present · current · bass

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — a gift
  4. bass — low music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — the time now
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. shower — rain
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — there
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. current — of water
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — electric
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. current — happening now
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. foot — a measure
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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