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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: bore · hide · patient · wound · scale · chair · degree · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. degree — an amount
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. scale — in music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. degree — temperature
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

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