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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.

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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. present — there
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. net — for catching
  21. present — the time now
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  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