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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — thin
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. land — ground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — to confront
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wound — an injury
  22. club — a group
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — to keep secret

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