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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. 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. net — after costs
  2. hand — help
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. hand — in cards
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — for catching
  21. race — humankind
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. 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