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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — after costs
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. net — for catching
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — in sport
  8. cell — in biology
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — of the year
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — in sport

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