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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cell — in biology
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cell — a phone

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