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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
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: hide · bowl · bass · safe · mine · bark · mark · mate

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mine — for digging
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bass — low music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — a strongbox

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