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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: band · prune · rush · suit · face · bass · hide · net

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. face — part of the head
  9. suit — clothes
  10. face — to confront
  11. net — in sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. face — to point toward
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a ring
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. band — a rubber band
  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