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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: tube · bat · wind · fine · hide · bay · mouse · rock

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fine — all right
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — a container
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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