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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cell — a phone
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ground — a position
  14. tear — from crying
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fork — in a road
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — in sport
  24. cell — in biology

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