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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: row · mine · racket · saw · band · hide · present · bass

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a ring
  4. mine — for digging
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — a gift
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. row — a line
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. present — there
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — the time now
  21. bass — low music
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mine — an explosive

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