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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: scale · bass · ball · hide · season · shower · wake · spell

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spell — a short time
  7. scale — in music
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the fish
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spell — magic
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bass — low music
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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