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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: hide · foot · leaves · chest · racket · bass · ball · spring

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. bass — low music
  2. spring — of water
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chest — a box
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bass — the fish
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. spring — the season
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chest — of your body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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