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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.

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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: mark · bass · mate · hide · land · stand · nail · rock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. land — to come down
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bass — low music
  11. rock — music
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mark — a trace
  18. land — a country
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. land — ground
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bass — the fish
  24. nail — on a finger

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