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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 · racket · bass · spell · jam · file · arm · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — the time now
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. file — a tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. file — a document
  16. spell — letters
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — a short time
  19. file — a line of people
  20. present — a gift
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. spell — magic

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