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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: object · season · stick · tube · tear · hide · bass · pop

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. season — of the year
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — the underground
  5. object — a thing
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — soda
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. tube — a container
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. object — to protest
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — an aim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — in sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — to add flavour

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