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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. last — final
  3. net — for catching
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. game — wild animals
  7. board — to get on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — after costs
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — to go on
  20. game — a match
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  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