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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to confront
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. season — in sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. season — of the year
  12. net — after costs
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kid — to tease
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — part of the head
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kick — in football
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. net — for catching
  23. kid — child
  24. drill — army training

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