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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.

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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
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: mouse · bass · dip · plane · hide · bay · coach · kid

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — to sink
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — to tease
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kid — child
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bass — low music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — to dunk
  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