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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.

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: bass · snap · leaves · rock · hide · mug · fall · land

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. land — to come down
  9. snap — to click
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rock — music
  13. mug — a face
  14. fall — the season
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. land — ground
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bass — low music

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