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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — a measure
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cold — an illness
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. clip — a video
  8. cold — not warm
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — to cut
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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