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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lie — to recline
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. present — the time now
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stand — to bear
  13. present — there
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. present — a gift
  16. capital — a city
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — on your feet

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