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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bat — the animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — to bear
  24. 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