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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.

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: saw · hide · safe · press · bass · cold · lie · game

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cold — an illness
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cold — not warm
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. press — a publisher
  18. game — a match
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — to push
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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