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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: safe · craft · bass · dip · mouse · row · straw · hide

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — boats
  20. row — a line
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bass — low music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — a handicraft

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