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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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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 · hide · mate · ruler · wind · lean · cap · mouse

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lean — thin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — for a computer

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