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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — after costs
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — to recline
  24. suit — in cards

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