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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stand — to bear
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — boats
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cold — an illness
  24. squash — the sport

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