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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ the meat?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — of the year
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. season — in sport
  24. straw — dry grass

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