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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.

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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stand — to bear
  4. net — after costs
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. net — for catching
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — in sport
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — to keep secret

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