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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: cell · bass · foot · saw · stick · pop · fan · hide

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — a measure
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — soda
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — low music

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