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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 · roll · wave · club · firm · kick · sharp · hide

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. roll — a cake
  5. firm — a company
  6. sharp — clever
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. club — for golf
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. roll — a list
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bass — the fish
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. club — a group

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