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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · land · hide · firm · bass · mug · club · fall

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. club — a group
  3. mug — to rob
  4. clip — to cut
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mug — a face
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. firm — a company
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. firm — decided
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. clip — a video
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. club — for dancing
  24. firm — steady

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