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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 120 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: calf · prune · hand · kid · dip · bass · wave · hide

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. kid — to tease
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — help
  24. bass — the instrument

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