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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. game — wild animals
  9. net — after costs
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cold — not warm
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. net — for catching
  22. game — a match
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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