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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. net — in sport
  12. kid — child
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. net — after costs
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. net — for catching
  24. dip — to dunk

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