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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bank — for money
  17. chest — a box
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bank — for money
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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