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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. net — in sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — steady
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. net — for catching

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