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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.

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: patient · dip · sharp · hide · mouse · scale · bass · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — low music
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the fish
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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