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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.

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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: hide · mouse · saw · prune · nail · can · bass · stand

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — low music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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