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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
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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: hide · season · racket · firm · pitcher · bass · face · straw

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — decided
  3. face — to point toward
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — of the year
  11. bass — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. face — to confront
  19. season — in sport
  20. firm — steady
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. firm — a company
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. face — part of the head

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