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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: spell · current · pitcher · scale · shower · hide · bass · lie

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — size or range
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — electric
  16. shower — rain
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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