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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: rest · jam · pop · kid · bowl · hide · wave · sharp

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pop — soda
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pop — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — a break
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hide — to keep secret

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