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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — in sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. net — after costs
  7. chest — of your body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chest — a box
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — a song
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. face — to confront

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