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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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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: bass · hide · swing · nail · pop · stock · craft · snap

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — shares
  6. pop — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pop — to visit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — the fish
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stock — goods
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. swing — music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to click
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — soda
  24. hide — animal skin

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