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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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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: hide · bat · stick · coach · firm · squash · bay · bass

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — a company
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. firm — steady
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bass — low music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. firm — decided
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — to crush
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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