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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.

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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: bay · bat · hide · bass · fall · pound · arm · toast

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — the animal
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — bread
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fall — the season
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fall — to drop

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