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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fine — all right
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. present — there
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — the time now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — animal skin

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