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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: hide · bass · foot · dip · race · pass · mouse · chair

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bass — low music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chair — a leader
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. race — a contest
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hide — animal skin

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