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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: stand · racket · bass · shower · calf · hide · mouse · roll

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — low music
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stand — to bear
  24. racket — for tennis

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