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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bass — low music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. toast — bread
  20. craft — boats
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. temple — side of the head

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