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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: jam · hide · bear · march · bass · perch · drill · mug

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — army training
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — the month
  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