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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: rule · hide · shower · mug · foot · pit · scale · bass

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — government
  6. bass — low music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. scale — in music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. shower — rain
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rule — a law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — a measure
  24. shower — to wash

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