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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: straw · mark · firm · date · hide · bass · leaves · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. firm — decided
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — a company
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a grade
  11. row — a line
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. date — the fruit

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