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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — a grade
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — in sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — after costs
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lean — thin
  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