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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 116 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
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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: bass · snap · hide · cabinet · season · mug · present · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — low music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. season — in sport
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. snap — to click
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — the time now
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. present — there
  22. mug — a face
  23. present — a gift
  24. season — of the year

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