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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 120 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: rush · hide · hand · cell · net · stick · bass · root

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — the cause
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — a phone
  15. root — of a word
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — in sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cell — in a prison

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