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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 120 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: bass · land · cue · hide · arm · drill · content · craft

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. cue — for pool
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. land — a country
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. content — happy
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cue — a signal
  21. content — the amount
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — a hint

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