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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: dip · swing · net · snap · cold · hide · bass · season

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bass — the fish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — for catching
  11. swing — to play on
  12. net — after costs
  13. snap — to click
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. swing — 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